I forgive you
by peter.rabbit.2806
Summary: it is set after King Arthur's death and shows really quite a mean side to Merlin but it also shows his background and family situation Enjoy! When reading try imagining to characters from the tv show it may help you more :/


She was nearing the white walls of Camelot with its walls and turrets glistening in the sun. Help was close. She only had a short way to go now. The sight of the great city took her breath away. A huge sigh of relief rushed over her however a tiny pocket of fear was present as she hadn't seen her brother in over five years. She took one last look over the valley, pushed the fear to the back of her mind and headed down the same winding path Merlin had taken when he first came to Camelot.

The streets where bustling with people, noises and smells, some of which she had never smelt before. How could she never have been here before? Down one street she saw street performers dancing and singing merrily waving coloured flags and ribbons into the crowd that was gathered around them. A little further on she saw a very busy street packed with stalls and people buying all sorts of things in different shapes and sizes. However now in front of her stood the castle of Camelot, it towered over the whole city and the beautiful white stone it was made from was like something from a dream. She pressed on in hope Merlin was not hard to find in the castle.

After the death of King Arthur Queen Guinevere had become forlorn and her bond with the knights had grown stronger as her protectiveness over Camelot from neighbouring kingdoms grew. She didn't want to let the kingdom that her husband fought for and built fall in front of her eyes. However the love for her people never failed, she loved and smiled at the children and helped the adults. She was one of them once.

On this clear day Queen Guinevere had been on her regular afternoon stroll with two of the finest Knights of the Round Table and two of her closest friends, Sir Percival and Sir Leon. They were just returning from the walk around the citadel when she saw a young serving girl she had never seen before in her castle.

"Excuse me. Can I help you?"

Genevieve turned around, startled. Before her stood the Queen of Camelot, Queen Guinevere, she curtsied as best she could but her eyes locked on the beautiful queen. It took her a second before she could speak.

"I…I…I'm looking for my brother my lady, I need his help," she replied nervously and quietly.

"Your name?" the queen asked walking over to the girl.

"Genevieve, my lady, my brother's name is Merlin, my lady."

"Ahh Merlin, I know him well. He didn't tell me he had a sister?"

"I doubt he would have my lady" Genevieve announced quietly but becoming less shy towards her.

"Come with me, I shall take you to Gaius' chamber. Merlin stays with him you see." Guinevere put her arm around the young girl and started guiding her back down the hallway.

"My lady should we come with you?" Sir Leon asked after her.

"No I don't think that should be necessary" Guinevere smiled at the young girl and transported her to Gaius' chambers.

The walk to Gaius' chambers was not as long as Genevieve thought it would be however she did notice that the part of the castle they had just entered was a little darker and fewer guards were on patrol.

"Here we are. Gaius should be in," Guinevere said smiling at Genevieve and removed her arm from around her shoulder. "Gaius? Is Merlin with you at all?"

Whilst saying this, without call, she unlatched the lock and stepped inside. Genevieve held back thinking it was polite for the queen to proceed first.

"My lady, Merlin is out on an errand for me at the moment but he shouldn't be long." An old man with white hair bowed at the queen as he walked from the bookcase.

"Good. There is someone here who needs to speak to him and urgently by the sounds of things." The queen stepped to the side allowing Genevieve to proceed forward into Gaius' view. "Merlin is her brother. I would like to see good care taken to her as always Gaius."

"Of course, my lady."

"Very well then." She turned and spoke to Genevieve. "Gaius here has served me well so you should have no problems. I shall leave you in his capable hands."

Genevieve nodded and curtsied as the queen left the chambers.

"I see the queen takes good likings to you young..."

"Genevieve"

"Come, you shouldn't stand in the doorway waiting for Merlin, would you like a drink?" The kind, old physician showed her to a table seat and handed her a glass of water.

"Tell me Genevieve, how is Hunith, your mother I mean?" Gaius asked sitting across from her.

"She is the reason I have came sir, she has fallen sick and the doctor says there is nothing that can be done to save her."

"You poor girl, you live quite far away don't you?"

"I haven't stopped walking since the day before yesterday."

"Finish your drink; I will see if Guinevere has a spare bed she can lend you." Gaius put his hand on hers to reassure her and he got up.

Genevieve picked up the cup when Merlin burst through the door.

"Gaius, loo…" He saw her sat at the table. His tone and mood changed dramatically. "What is she doing here?"

"Merlin she needs your help." Gaius stepped between the siblings seeing the anger in Merlin's eyes.

"Why what has she done this time? Burned the whole village down?" He said angrily, walking closer towards her.

"Merli…"Gaius went to hold him back but Merlin pushed him back.

"Let her speak Gaius, she used to be brilliant at it."

"Merlin, its mother, she needs your help or she will die. Please."Genevieve pleaded standing up to face her brother.

Merlin turned and looked away. Gaius walked over to him and spoke into his ear.

"She is tired and she needs your help. I'm going to speak to Guinevere to find her a bed to sleep in. Don't be too hard on her Merlin she's young." Gaius stepped back. "I'm sure I can leave you both to sort it out between yourselves."

"Fine." Merlin said, turning to face his sister.

Gaius opened the door to leave but turned and said, "Merlin remember you are a great warlock not a baby. Act your age and look out for your family." With those words he left and the siblings where left alone.

"I'm sorry." Genevieve said after a while.

"You should be, you set three houses on fire by using magic in a land where magic was forbidden."

"Merlin I was young and I wanted to be like you. You where always showing your mates little tricks made from magic, even if you had hidden that fact. I just wanted to show my friends something special as well." She said walking over to Merlin.

"It still doesn't excuse that fact you did it." Merlin said finally looking back at her.

"Merlin I was eight! You have done bad things too. You left me and mother without even saying goodbye. You left in the dead of night. Mother cried for days and she's never been the same since. You have never even come back to see us. Don't you think that is worse than what I did?" She pleaded hoping he saw sense in her words.

"No Genevieve it isn't I did it to protect your feelings what you did you did it out of spite." Merlin ran to his room and slammed the door shut.

She awoke in a double four poster bed. It was still dark and the stars where shining through the window on the left side of the room. There wasn't a lot of furniture in the room, a bed, a wardrobe, a dressing table and a chair in the corner. The flagstone floor was grey and cold and the walls where dark and unwelcoming in the dark night. However the reflection on the mirror of the sky was beautiful.

Genevieve sat up in bed, what had woken her?

"Genevieve?" A voice came from the corner of the room and a great shadow was cast upon the wall from the moonlight. She sat upright in bed and tried to pull the covers from the opposite side of the bed to get out but her hands slipped on the silk.

"Genevieve, it's me, Gaius." The old physician came into view and sat at the end of the bed.

"What are you doing here? " She asked rubbing her eyes.

"I came to see if you were sleeping alright, however when I came you where stirring and whimpering as if you where having a nightmare. Are you alright?"

"Gaius, ever since Merlin left I've been having nightmares, always the same ones, the one where I burned down three houses in my village. They won't stop."

"Here take this, it will hopefully stop the nightmares, it worked for the lady Morgana when she was King Uther's ward, she suffered nightmares such as yours." He handed her a small phial containing a tincture made from linden flowers. She drank it slowly, handed Gaius the phial back and lay back down.

"I shall wait till you have fallen back to sleep, then I shall get back to my chambers and bring you to them tomorrow morning. There you and Merlin can work out what to do about your poor mother." He got off the bed and went back to the corner.

She arose once more but this time to a much friendlier looking room with the morning sun's rays streaming in through the window catching every bottle on the dressing table and the colours of the silk on the bed. It was a much prettier sight. The queen had lent her some night clothes and she wanted to wash and return them before midday, so she got changed back into the clothes she was wearing the day before and set off to ask a guard for help. Preferably one of the knights she had seen on her first encounter with the queen as they were friendly and had seen Genevieve before, unlike a lot of people in the city.

When Gaius entered Genevieve's room later that morning he was astonished to find the bed was made, she had washed and the night clothes where washed and folded neatly at the bottom of the bed where she had found them the night before. Genevieve however was stood at the window staring out across the city as if in a daydream.

"Genevieve?" Gaius asked knocking once on the door and walking over to the window besides her.

"Gaius." She turned to find the physician stood next to her. "Sorry Gaius I was just thinking."

"It's ok. What were you thinking about?"

"What if Merlin can't save mother. What if she dies? What do I do? I can't look after the house alone; I can't be responsible for doing all the housework and fend for myself. I'm not old enough."

"Don't worry about that Genevieve, you will be looked after here and if anything does happen to your mother I'm sure Merlin will see you right and if not I shall put him in the stake and have the children throw vegetables at him again." He smiled at her and she smiled a small smile back calmed by his words. Gaius then took Genevieve back to his chambers.

"I didn't know where else to turn Merlin what was I supposed to do, stay at home and watch her die in the corner?"

"She's probably already dead."

"Merlin, how dare you speak to your mother that way she sent you here to be looked after why can't you now go and look after her? Young Genevieve has lived for five years on her own trying to keep your mother happy and the housework up to standards."

"I didn't mean that, sorry Gaius," Merlin's head sunk into his hands. "What do you exactly want me to do?"

"Come with me back to the village and see mother, try and heal her with your magic or at least say your goodbyes. Please Merlin."

"I…I…"

"Merlin you owe it to your mother; if you were willing to save Arthur why are you not willing to save your own mother?"

"Alright I will come, when do we leave?"

"Mid-afternoon today I say if we want to be there by nightfall by tomorrow." Gaius stood up and started gathering supplies.

"Are you coming to Gaius?" Genevieve asked.

"Of course, Hunith and I used to be good friends back in the day, I want to say goodbye."

"What about patients and duties? Who will carry them out?"

"I should think Leon would be happy to help and some of the other knights if you ask them nice enough Merlin."

"What?"

"Of you go, come on chop chop, we haven't got all day." Gaius hurried a speechless Merlin out the door and turned to Genevieve. "I told you everything would be ok." They both laughed.

By that night they were nearing the forest and a little before nightfall the next day they had reached the little village Merlin and Genevieve had grown up in. The sight of all the small little houses with small areas of land around them for gardens and people pushing wheelbarrows full of food and straw was a sight Merlin had quite forgotten. It wasn't busy like Camelot and the smell of the open countryside and a freshly cooked meal set out on someone's table filled the air. How could he not have come back even for a day?

The sun was setting as the three of them reached the door of the house. It was dark and the garden wasn't blooming like all the others and there was no smell of dinners coming from the windows either. Genevieve bravely opened the door and went inside.

Inside Mrs Madeson was sat next to Hunith with a wet cloth dabbing it on Hunith's forehead. There was a bowl of food on the bedside table but it looked untouched. Mrs Madeson arose from the stool, gathered her things and headed for the doorway.

"Thank you for helping Mrs Madeson, how can I repay you?" Genevieve asked politely.

"Don't be silly young one; a neighbour should always help a neighbour out in times of need." She patted Genevieve softly on the top of her head. "And don't forget that." She smiled and left.

Merlin walked over to the stool and sat down. The room was dark with one candle flickering on the bedside table.

"Mother? It's Merlin do you remember me?"

"Merlin, I thought I'd never see you again. Why haven't you come back to see us?"

"I didn't want to hurt you mother, I'm sorry."His voice wavered as tears gathered in his eyes. How could he have been so cruel?

"Mother do you remember Gaius?" Genevieve said as she saw a tear appear in Merlin's eyes.

"Gaius, the physician, of course I do." She turned her head to see him. "Come here." She held out her hand, he placed it inside his. "Look after my children Gaius when I am gone please, I do not trust anyone else like I do you."

"Of course Hunith."

As she turned her head back her heart rate grew increasingly quick and she stared to sweat more.

"Quick get her outside and into the woods. Now!" Gaius cried thinking it better for her to have light and fresh air if these where to be her final moments.

The three of them carried her into a clearing in the wood behind the house. The trees where in full bloom and the ground was covered in roots, twigs and old leaves but as the sun was setting a beautiful light fell upon them all.

"Merlin you need to try a spell quickly." Genevieve called.

They laid Hunith down and gathered around her. Merlin placed his hands over his mother praying his spell would work.

"Þu fornimest adl fram guman" Nothing happened.

"Merlin, concentrate!" Gaius pledged.

"Þu fornimest adl fram guman" this time Merlin sounded louder and more in control of the spell.

All was silent. Hunith stopped breathing. Her sweating stopped. All three of them stared at each other.

She gasped for air. She was alive but still ill.

"Merlin, what was that."

"A healing spell mother, I have learnt many since I have live with Gaius."

"He is the finest sorcerer around Hunith, you should be very proud of him."

"I am. I fear I do not have much time left. Genevieve, Merlin, come here." Both of them kneeled at either side of their mother and hugged her and she wrapped her arms around them. "I am getting tired, but I need to say this, I am proud of you both and I will love you always just as your father does. Please will you promise me one thing though?" Both of them, with tears in their eyes, looked on at their dying mother, knowing the spell Merlin had cast would only prolong her life for a short time. "Will you tell me all the adventures you have had, even if it is just once a month I would love to hear them and hear your voices? I'm sorry I cannot be here for you both. I love you."

And with that Genevieve and Merlin sat at the side of their mother as she drew her last breath. Genevieve broke down into tears; Merlin stood up and went round to her. He hugged her and whispered in her ear, "I forgive you."

With them words she stopped crying and looked at Merlin. "What?" She questioned wiping the tear away from her eye.

"I remember what you said about we all do bad things and I forgive you for what you did. I should have forgiven you sooner. I'm sorry." They hugged each other again.

They buried Hunith in the clearing the following morning. Tears were shed once more but Gaius, being the guardian now, comforted them and escorted them back to the house.

Once back to their old home Genevieve and Merlin packed everything and said goodbye to the little house they had grown up in. After thanking Mrs Madeson once again and giving her the keys to the old house as a thank you gift, the three of them set off back to Camelot, saying goodbye to the little village.

On their return Queen Guinevere was waiting to speak to Genevieve. Merlin took her belongings and he and Gaius went to unpack in their chambers. Queen Guinevere took Genevieve to the grand hall. It was grand indeed, the flags gave the white walls colour and the windows let in lots of light.

"Genevieve, I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you my lady." She curtsied once again.

"Please I saw the way you left your room. Very neat, very clean and done fairly quickly I assume."

"It was nothing my lady."

"Well I need a maid servant to help me with my chambers. Would you like the job? Of course accommodation will be included and you will see Merlin and Gaius quite often." The queen gave a warming smile.

"My lady, I am …"

"Please take the offer; I could think of no better person I would want to be my maid servant."

"Of course, my lady."

"Good then I shall see you tomorrow morning at sunrise." The queen gave another warming smile and Genevieve curtsied and smiled back. Excitement rushed through her body; this was something she could tell her mother tonight.

Three months later Merlin and Genevieve where like best friends and they never forgot to tell Hunith about their little adventures at nightfall. Genevieve helps both Gaius and Guinevere as much as she can and Merlin is fulfilling his role as the queen's advisor and sorcerer (of course). To this day one of Genevieve's nightmares have not returned and her sleep is always happy and peaceful. Just like Camelot.


End file.
